Michaël Dessimiroff gave me the recipe many years ago, when he was chef on the Horizon II, a hotel barge floating the canals of France. Trained as a pastry chef before joining the barge staff, Michaël baked particularly marvelous quiches, one for every day of the trip.  He said that the secret to a great crust is to not overwork the dough and to refrigerate the dough after each handling. He also said that cooks can make a variety of different quiches by using one basic recipe and altering a few flavoring ingredients.

Although it can be done, I can’t imagine altering Michaël’s Pear and Roquefort Quiche as to me it was the pièce de résistance of his entire quiche repertoire, offering a flawless balance of delicate flavors and a perfect ratio of rich buttery crust to soft custard filling. Also I can’t imagine any real man refusing this quiche—although, mon dieu, I do keep trying to find one.

PEAR AND ROQUEFORT QUICHE

2-1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) Roquefort cheese (or good quality blue cheese)

1/2 cup whipping cream

3 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1-1/2 cups whole milk 

Pinch each: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon fine, dry bread crumbs

1 partly baked 10-inch pastry shell (recipe follows)

1 small pear, peeled, cored and thickly sliced

1 to 2 teaspoons honey

On a plate, using a fork, mash cheese with some of the cream to form a smooth paste; transfer to a medium bowl. Gently beat in remaining cream. Add eggs and beat until mixture is blended, but not foamy. Whisk in sour cream, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt and pepper; set aside.

Sprinkle bread crumbs in center of pastry shell. Arrange pear slices in a circular pattern over crumbs and drizzle with honey. Set pan on a baking sheet. Stir egg mixture and pour into shell. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until quiche has puffed slightly and top has lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes.

Cool slightly on a rack. Release side and bottom of pan and slide quiche onto a serving platter. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature.

Yield: About 8 servings.

PASTRY SHELL

2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional flour for rolling dough

12 tablespoons chilled salted butter, cut into pieces

1 egg, beaten

Pinch salt

Sift 2 cups flour into a mixing bowl. Add butter. With fingertips, rapidly rub butter and flour together until mixture is in small crumbs. Make a well in center; add egg and salt. Stir gently with a fork to incorporate egg, then gather ingredients into a rough ball and knead gently and quickly to form a dough. Put dough on a flat surface and, with the heel of your hand, smear about three tablespoons of the dough into a thin streak; repeat until all dough has been smeared once. Gather dough into a smooth ball, flatten ball, wrap with plastic or foil, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11- to 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 10-inch, false-bottomed quiche pan and gently maneuver dough to line pan. Turn excess overhang into pan and press to make double-thick sides to the pastry case. Trim off excess dough. Prick at 1/4-inch intervals with the tines of a fork. Place a sheet of foil, shiny side down, in pan and smooth over dough. (The foil should be large enough to come about 2 inches above rim of pan on all sides.) Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Fill foil lining with pastry weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake in preheated 425°F oven until bottom of shell is set and sides are beginning to brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Return shell to oven and bake 2 minutes. Remove pan from oven and put on a rack to cool.

Yield: One 10-inch pastry shell, partly baked.

The school’s recipes were authentic, but slightly adapted to please American palates, and gentle Thai cooking teachers explain how each recipe could be further adjusted to suit individual tastes.

For example, teachers said that when making Pad Thai, cooks could:

1. substitute rice vinegar for the tamarind juice—although the tamarind adds a distinctive “fruity” taste;

2. use roasted red pepper instead of paprika for color;

and/or

3. substitute cubed raw chicken for the shrimp.

Then again, cooks could follow the original recipe with perfectly pleasing results.

Epicurean Kitchen Cooking School’s

PAD THAI

Yield: 1 large serving

About 2 ounces Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles (or rice sticks, also called banh pho)

2 tablespoons dried shrimp, optional

1-1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1-1/2 tablespoons water

1-1/2 tablespoons premium fish sauce

2 teaspoons tamarind juice (or rice vinegar)

Pinch paprika for color

About 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large shallot, peeled and finely sliced

2 tablespoons preserved sweet radish

1 tablespoon cubed extra firm tofu

About  7 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 small egg

1 cup bean sprouts

2 scallions, trimmed and slivered

For Garnish

Chiles

Lime, cut into wedges

Crushed roasted peanuts

Put rice noodles in room-temperature water to cover and let soak until pliable, but firm—not soft or mushy; soaking can take from 20 minutes to 1 hour (see note below). Drain noodles well and set aside. Cover dried shrimp with water and let soak until tender, about 20 minutes; drain well.

Combine sugar, water, fish sauce, tamarind juice and paprika; set aside.

Heat wok or large frying pan over medium high heat; add vegetable oil. When oil is hot, add shallots and stir-fry until golden brown. Turn heat to high. Add radish, dried shrimp and tofu to wok; stir-fry 1 minute. Add softened noodles. Pour sugar mixture over top. Stir-fry ingredients until noodles are tender (taste, they should be al dente). Push noodle mixture to the side of the pan. Add raw shrimp and stir fry until cooked. Push shrimp to the side with noodles. Add egg and stir-fry until scrambled. Mix all ingredients together (if necessary, continue stir-frying another minute or so until mixture is “dry” and sauce incorporated). Toss in bean sprouts and scallions and stir-fry until mixed.  Serve immediately garnished with chiles, lime wedges and/or peanuts.

NOTE: If you are in a hurry, you can “fast soak” the noodles, but they won’t be as good. To fast soak: bring a pot of water to the boil, turn off heat, add the noodles and let sit until pliable—3 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse in cold water.)

We thought you’d like us to define

What people do when they pitch woo

And spoon and neck and bill and coo.

They pucker up their lips and press

Another’s lips in a caress.

What we’re describing is a KISS.

In other words, it’s also this:

A PECK, a BUSS, a KISSAROO,

A SMACK, a SMOOCH—to name a few.

The XXX that one bestows

On a letter with some Os.

A dictionary will confirm

That OSCULATE’s a kissing

term.

And so is HONEY COOLER,though

It’s not in use much that we know.

To make our kiss-word list complete

We should include those that people eat:

The little foil-wrapped chocolate drops

(Available in many shops),

And sweet, delicious cookie bites

Of sugar beaten with egg whites.

Before we go we’d like to say

We hope that kisses come your way,

And those that you consent to share

Are given with a bit of flair.

And just in case you don’t know how

To give your kisses extra WOW,

We’ll tell you all the steps to take

To make your kisses double great!

Copyright S M. Katzman, 2010

DOUBLE GREAT KISSES

3 egg whites, at room temperature (Be sure whites are free of all yolks; whites with even a touch of yolk will not beat well.)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

About 24 chocolate kisses (foil wrap removed)

Preheat oven to 225°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set baking sheets aside.

Put egg whites in a large bowl. Beat whites on low speed with an electric mixture until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat on high speed until whites stand in soft peaks. Constantly beating at high speed, very slowly add sugar to whites. Continue beating until whites stand in straight peaks. Beat invanilla.

Using 1 level tablespoon for each mound and leaving space between mounds, drop mounds of whites on paper covered baking sheet. Put a chocolate kiss in the center of each mound. With a kitchen knife, carefully bring whites up and around each chocolate kiss, completely covering chocolate with whites.

Bake in a preheated 225°F oven for 60 minutes. Then turn off heat and leave cookies in the warm oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven and set on racks to cook. When completely cool, remove kisses from paper.

Yield: about 24.

RED’S BACON OLD FASHIONED

1 thin slice orange

1 maraschino cherry

1/4 ounce maple syrup

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 ounces bacon-infused Jack Daniel’s

Ice

Splash club soda

Squeeze orange and put in an old-fashioned glass. Add cherry and maple syrup. Muddle lightly. Add bacon infused bourbon. Fill glass with ice and top with club soda.

TO INFUSE BOURBON WITH BACON

Fry 3 to 4 slices of bacon to render fat. Reserve or eat bacon (you won’t need it) and strain the bacon fat into a non-porous container. Pour a 750ml bottle of Jack Daniel’s over fat in container and set aside for 6 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate mixture for about 12 hours or until fat solidifies, then remove fat from bourbon and strain the bourbon back into the bottle.

1. Friends invited.
2. TVs set up.
3. Snacks bought and deli platters arranged.
4. Beer chilling.
5. Dill mustard made.

Done!

SUPER BOWL MUSTARD

(A sweet spicy mustard that adds wonderful kick to sandwiches.)

1 can (2 ounces) Colman’s dry mustard

1 cup cider vinegar

4 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons dried dill

Mix mustard and vinegar in a glass bowl and set aide for 3 hours to overnight.

Place eggs, sugar and dill in the jar of a blender and blend on high speed for one minute. Add mustard-vinegar mixture and blend until thoroughly combined. Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan. Set over low heat and cook, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.

Cool completely and refrigerate in a covered container.

Yield: about 2-1/2 cups.

Maybe it’s my imagination but the food isn’t quite as good since the move, still it is about the best airport food I know.

Lines (there are always lines) in front of the cafeteria steam table move quickly, but if I’m in a hurry, I cut to the chase and order a Cuban sandwich with a side of meltingly sweet plantains from the counter at the end of the room.

If time allows, and the cafeteria is serving Cuban specialties (not in the morning when ordinary American breakfast is served), I join the line and load a tray with thick chunks of roasted pork or fork tender lamb shanks or maybe the arroz con pollo (chicken with yellow rice).

The place is usually packed and a tad chaotic. Portions seem huge (if on a return trip, I fly leftovers home in easy-to-tote containers) and prices run relatively moderate. Once again, that’s La Carreta in the Mmmmmmmm-iami airport.

The recipe comes from the Smithfield Inn, a charming B & B in Smithfield, Virginia.

Everything about this historic property represents the best of genteel Southern comfort, including the graciously appointed rooms, the soft-spoken well-mannered staff and the deeply delicious Southern specialties served in the dining rooms.

As good as the food is, the undoubted jewel in the crown of the menu’s tasty treats has to be lemon chess pie.

It’s hard to imagine more butter or sugar baked into one pie, and the Inn adds to the calories by serving the pie with whipped cream. Because it is so rich, a thin sliver should suffice for a serving. Of course a second and third thin sliver would be even better. When it comes to this pie, to paraphrase Mark Twain, too much is barely enough.

SMITHFIELD INN LEMON CHESS PIE

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie; 8 servings.

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

Zest and juice from 3 lemons

1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust (recipe follows)

Whipped cream (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in flour and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Gradually beat in zest and juice.

Spoon batter into pie shell. Bake until pie’s top is golden brown and filling is set, 45 to 65 minutes. Set pie on a rack and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic or foil and refrigerate until firm enough to cut, several hours to overnight. Serve garnished with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.

PIE CRUST

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie shell.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons ice water

Additional all-purpose flour for rolling dough

Mix flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Put each tablespoon shortening in a different place on top of flour. Mix lightly with fingers to form coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over top of crumbs. Mix with a fork until dough begins to hold together. Turn dough out of bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly and quickly until smooth. Form dough into a ball, flatten slightly with palm of hand, wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin to an 11-inch circle. Carefully transfer circle to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold overlap under at edge of plate and crimp decoratively. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Scott Uehlein, Canyon Ranch’s corporate chef and author of NOURISH—so am not surprised at the high quality his newest book which, in addition to recipes, includes photos, nutritional information and helpful hints. Gotta confess, I find some of the hints as inspiring as the recipes—for example what dieter could not love the nutrition note accompanying the warm chocolate cake recipe “Nutrition Note: We are so happy to tell you again how healthy chocolate is.”

Scott Uehlein, Canyon Ranch Chef

Thank you Scott—your book is terrific and I am so happy to have it in my collection.

Nourish is a Viking Studio publication with a list price of $40. For a tasty sample of a typical recipe try this:

BEEF SHORT RIBS

Makes 4 serving

2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs or 1 pound boneless short ribs

2 cups Mongolian BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)

2 cups water

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sear the short ribs in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Place in a shallow glass baking dish with a cover.

Combine the BBQ sauce, water, and brown sugar in a medium bowl and mix well. Pour over ribs. Cover tightly and roast for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender.

Serve 2 ribs with 2 tablespoons sauce,1/2 cup mashed potatoes and 1/2 cup braised red cabbage (recipes for potatoes and cabbage are included in NOURISH)

Each serving contains: 370 calories, 35 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat, 58 mg cholesterol, 22g protein, 740 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

Beef Short Ribs

MONGOLIAN BBQ SAUCE

Makes sixteen 2-tablespoon servings

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari sauce

2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup sake

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup low-sodium ketchup

Pinch ground coriander

Pinch ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup minced leeks, white part only

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

Combine the 1/2 cup tamari, the cane juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sake, and the 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low. Add the ketchup, coriander, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Combine the leeks, garlic, fresh ginger, the 2 tablespoons water, and the 2 tablespoons tamari.

Add the leek mixture to the sauce mixture and stir until combined.

Each serving contains: 35 calories, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace protein, 288mg sodium, trace fiber.

So I was going to give you a recipe for king cake—you know—that luscious coffee cake that, in Louisiana, reigns over parties, festivities and celebrations from January 6 (to honor Kings’ Day, the meeting of the three wise men with the infant Jesus) to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, February 16 this year).

Traditional king cakes are iced and decorated with Mardi Gras colors (green representing faith; purple, justice; and gold, power) and have a small trinket, often a plastic baby, hidden inside the baked dough. Custom dictates that the person getting the piece of the cake with the trinket must host the next king cake party.

As I said, I was going to give you a recipe, but I have something better: a bakery where you can order the cake (baby and all). Delicious Donuts & Bakery in Lake Charles, Louisiana, makes majestic king cakes with a wide variety of fillings (pecan praline and pralines-n-cream to die for) and ships the cake to addresses all over the world. My mouth is watering just typing the contact numbers: www.deliciouskingcakes.com and phone: 337-479-2-YUM.

Each morning, staff at Miraval would gather a group and practice mindful eating at breakfast. Once was enough for most participants to understand the potential of the exercise and those who repeated the experience became long-time converts and practitioners.

Call it what you want: meditative eating, mindful eating, eating with intention—once learned, the benefits are life-changing, but let me cut to the chase:

HOW TO SAVOR FOOD, CONTROL EATING AND UPGRADE YOUR COOKING IN 10 EASY STEPS

or more simply

THE 10 STEP PROGRAM TO MORE MINDFUL EATING

1. Set a pleasant place to eat at an uncluttered table. Turn off phones, radios, televisions and/or anything else that might cause distractions.

2. Prepare a simple meal or snack. Choose uncomplicated foods that you like and that vary in texture, taste and color. Arrange the food on a plate. Don’t over fill the plate.

3. Sit at the table and place the plate of food in front of you.

4. Close your eyes and take three long slow breaths. Think of your breathing. Then breath normally while you count to 30. Open your eyes.

5. Look at the food. Notice colors and shapes.

6. Pick up a utensil; take a small bite. Put the utensil down.

7. Chew slowly, paying attention to taste and texture of the bite. Is the bite juicy? Dry? Crunchy? Salty or sweet?  Prolong the chewing to analyze all you can about the bite.

8. Become aware of your intention to swallow the food. Swallow giving the swallow full concentration. Notice tastes lingering in your mouth. Notice how your body feels. Sit still for a moment or two. Savor.

9. Continue eating in silence, putting the utensil down after every bite and noticing attributes of every bite. Take time. Chew slowly. Swallow with intention. Notice when you begin to feel satisfied. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being ravenous and 10 being Thanksgiving stuffed, notice when you reach a 4 or 5. Stop just when you are satisfied. Note where you are on the number scale—maybe a 6, no more than a 7.

10. After eating to satisfaction level, stop. Put utensil down. Put hands in lap. Sit for a few moments and reflect on the food you consumed and how it makes you feel.